Electric welding furnace



I. D. SHIPPER ELECTRIC WELDING FURNACE- Sept. 11', 1923. 1,467,954

- r D. SHIPPER ELECTRIC WELDI NG FURNACE Filed June 7. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 11, 1923.

UNITED STATES,

ISAAC D. SKIPPER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC WELDING FURNACE.

Application filed June 7,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC D. SKIPPER, a citizen of the United States, residing ,in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Electric Welding Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct an electric furnace for welding metals, in which the two metallic members are placed in the furnace with the abutting ends in a mold in which the fluid metal" accumulates as it is melted from the members so that, on moving one member towards the other, the union will be accomplished. The enlarged portion at the weld is reduced under a hammer as'soon as the welded members are removed from the mold and while hot. 4

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is av view of one endof my improved electric welding furnace;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation;

Fig. 3 is 5. view showing the upper section raised and illustrating the mold;

Figs. 4 and 5 are plan views of the lower portion of the furnace and illustratingthe method of welding;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the weld and the enlargement formed in the mold; and

' Fig. 'Tis a view showing the completed weldafterbeing reduced under a hammer.

Referring to'the drawings, 1 is the base section of the furnace mounted on supports 2., In this section of thefurnace is a hearth 3 of refractory material having a transverse groove 4 therein to receive the members to be welded. The groove is preferably shaped to receive the members pro rly sothat very little air will enter the urnace at the groove. The groove 4 is enlarged at the center of the furnace to form a mold 5 into which the metal flows as the ends of the members to be welded are melted, enlarg-v ing the members at the weld. This enlargement is reduced under a hammer after the,

welded members are removed from the furnace.

fi-is the upper section ofthe furnace connected to the base section by hinges 7 so that it can be raised on the hinges to permit the removal of thewelded members. At the upper, front edge of the upper section 6 is an, angle beam 8, in the present instance, to which is attached an eye bolt 9. This eye bolt can be engaged by a hook of a hoist 1922. Serial No. 566,514.

when it is desired to raise the upper section 6. The upper section 6 is lined with refractory material 10, which encloses a chamber 11 directly above the mold 5 in the base section. This chamber may be of any size desired, depending upon the size of the furnace and the material to be welded.

12, 12 are two inclined passages communlcating with the chamber 11. 13 are the carbon electrodes. The inner ends of the electrodes terminate I directly above the mold, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to heat the parts to be welded by radiationfrom the arc struck between electrodes. As the chamber 11 is substantially closed, the metal is melted and fused in an atmosphere free from foreign gases and materials,

Any suitable means may be provided for feeding the carbon electrodes towards each other. Automatic means is preferred, but, in the present instance, independent feed screws 15 on brackets 16 are shown. These feed screws engage nuts 17 clamped .to the electrodes 13. Each feed screw has a hand wheel 18. Surrounding theouter end of each passage 12-for the carbon electrodes is a water jacket 19 designed that water will flow through the jacket, tending to keep'the electrodes cool.

20 is a peep hole inclined towards the mold so that the progress of the weld can be followed. This peep hole also allows certain gases to escape from the furnace.

The operation is as follows: a, a are two bars of metal to be welded. These bars are placed in the groove 4 in the base section'of the furnace with their ends abutting over the mold 5. The furnace is then closed by lower-.

ing the upper section '6 and the electric circuit is applied through thecarbon electrodes. The material is heated by radiation from the arc struck between the electrodes and the ends of the bars a, a are melted-the metal flowing into the mold 5. One bar is then moved towards the other so as to close the gap. When the mold is filled, the electric current is cut off. After the metal has set, the upper section is raised, as in Fig. 3, and when the welded joint has cooled sufficiently to allow the bar to be removed, it is transferred to a hammer and the enlarged portion b, Fig, '6, formed in the mold, is reduced, as in Fig. 7 and the bars are lengthened as desired. This is accomplished while the bar is still hot.

This method requires only one heating of the bars to make a complete weld. In some instances, instead of moving one bar in respect to the other to close the ap, additional metal may be added, which wi l fill the mold. This metal will be incorporated with the metal of the bars, or other articles being welded.

If it be desired to enrich the metal at the mold, the material may be applied through the peep hole.

I claim:

1. The combination in an electric welding furnace, of a base section having a groove therein to receive the material to be Welded, said groove being enlarged at the center of the furnace to form a mold; and an upper section having a chamber therein above the mold and also having passages therein for the carbon electrodes which terminate directly above the mold.

2. The combination in an electric welding furnace, of a base section having a groove entirely across the furnace to receive the articles to be welded, said groove being enlarged at the center to form a mold; an upper section hinged to the base section at one side so that it can be raised to remove the welded articles, said upper section having a refractory lining forming a chamber directly above the mold in the base section; and carbon electrodes carried by the upper section and terminating in the chamber above the mold.

The combination in an electric furnace, of abase section; a transverse groove therein, said groove being enlarged to form a mold; an upper section movable in respect to the lower section and having a chamber therein located above the mold; and two inclined carbon electrodes extending into the chamber in the upper section of the furnace and terminating above the mold, the upper section being lined with refractory material and the base section having a hearth of refractory material in which the groove and the mold are formed.

4:. The process herein described of welding two metallic articles, said process consisting in placing the articles end to end, reducing the abutting portions of the articles to a fluid by an electric arc, molding the fluid metal to form an enlargement, stopping the melting process, allowing the metal to cool until it sets, and, while the metal is hot, reducing the enlargement produced by moldin ISAAC n. SHIPPER. 

